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(No Model.)

ENO: 338.661.

arnew N. PETERS. Moin-limogrzpher. Waxllglnm D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN M. FRELIGH, OF SAUGERTIES, NEVYORK.

AXLE-LU B R l CATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,661, dated March 23, 1886.

Application filed June 25, 1885. Serial No. 169,700. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN M. FRELIGH, of Saugerties, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle-Lubricators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for lubricating axles, and has for its object to furnish a device of this class which shall be automatic in its action, always ready for use, cheap, and simple in construction, and not liable to get out of order. Vith this object in View I have constructed the device, the construction, arrangement, and combination of the parts of which I shall now proceed to describe, and the specific novelty of which I shall particularly point out in the claims hereto annexed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the parts, except the cap to the oil-tube, in position for use, the said parts being shown partly in section and partly in elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the oil-tube, ball-valve, and cap, the cap being inserted in the oil-tube; and Fig. 3 is a View in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the cap being out of the tube.

Like letters of reference mark the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings by letters, a is the hub, b the spokes, c the axle-box, d the spindle, e the nut, and f the body of the axle. These parts are of the ordinary construction, except that the hub is bored radially inside the spokes to receive a tube, g, and the box is perforated at a point to coincide with the inner end of said tube, which screws into such perforation.

The tube g I denominate the oil-tube, and it extends from the box to the exterior of the hub. It is provided at its inner end with an exterior screw-thread, h, which engages a similar interior screw-thread in the perforation in the box. It is, also, at the interior of its inner end roamed out or undercut, as at t', to

form a socket or bearing-chamber for a ball, j, whose outer circumference, when it is in position in the tube, just coincides with the outer end of the tube. At its outer end the tube is notched, as at 7c, to receive a screwdriver, for the purpose of inserting it into its place in the hub and box, and has also an interior screw-thread, m, which engages a similarly-threaded cap, n.

The operation of my invention may be described as follows: The parts being in position, as in Fig. 1, and the tube filled with oil or lubricant, the ball-which may be made of rubber, or lead, or other metal-will act as an automatic lubricating-valve, allowing a small quantity of the lubricant to pass into the axle at each revolution, whence it will be distributed over the whole bearing-surface and keep the axle continually lubricated until the supply of the lubricant in the tube is exhausted. It may be replenished from any suitable supply by siniply unscrewing the cap and relling the tube, rendering the disagreeable task of removing the nut and wheel from the axle entirely unnecessary. The base-flange o of the cap covers the end of the tube, and gives a fine finish to the device, covering any marring which may have been done while inserting the tube.

The device may be used on any shaft and hub, but is of especial advantage when applied to a wagon.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the hub, perforated radially, as described, the axle, the oil-tube inserted in said perforation, and the ball-valve and lubricator in said tube, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the axle having spindle d, the box c, perforated as described, the oil-tube g, having ball-receptacle t', the cap n, and the hub radially perforated to receive the oil-tube, as set forth.

Dated Saugerties, June 12, 1885.

BENJAMIN M. FRELIGH.

Vitnesses:

H. VINANs, M. FRELIGH. 

